Gentle Answers

"A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger," the Bible says. (Proverbs 15:1) And yet, how often do we respond to situations with humility, graciousness, and love? Maybe if more of us did, the hate that exists in the world would not be so great.

Of course, there are those people in the world, that no matter what you do or say, are simply  just going to be hateful. And not like you. And say mean things about you. But ya know what, those people are really the ones missing out in life. Those are the ones, that to me, have completely missed the point of life. The only thing to do for those people is to feel sorry for them, pray for them, and leave them to God.

But I have noticed, over the past decade or so, that praying for the people that you are in conflict with creates a love for them that goes beyond understanding. When we ask that their hearts remain open, that the words we speak to them will be received well, and that God will do a work of restoration...whether that is a day, two weeks, or two years from now...then God usually does what He does best. And that's redeem, restore, and resurrect the dead and lifeless things in our lives, relationships, and hearts.

Just today, I had the opportunity to get back at someone. But the Bible says, "Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it." (1 Peter 3:9 NLT)

So what did I do? I smiled at her and laughed at a joke she made. And ya know what, her face brightened and she seemed to have an extra skip in her step. Who knows? Maybe she was waiting for me to lay the smack down. Or maybe she just had a really bad day the other day when I felt mistreated. Who knows. Only God does. A bad day doesn't excuse bad behavior. But being treated badly by someone does not excuse my treating them badly in return.

"Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing." Proverbs 12:18

Maybe the world's answer would have been different. Maybe I should have made a snarky comment or ignored the person. Maybe I should have tried to undermine her character with others. But we are supposed to be different than the rest of the world. We are supposed to be known by our love. We encourage, we lift up, we bring life to people. We heal. If we call ourselves Christians, we have a higher calling. And I am going to start trying to live up to it a little harder, one small choice--one gentle answer--at a time.